Reunion
by introspecticskeptic
Summary: When the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, Derek, wakes to his wife's smiling face he's not sure how to feel. He's also not sure of anything as he has no memory. Fighting through the mysterious wounds he has and the layers of deception, Derek knows that he has only one real goal, save his family from somewhere cold. Inspired by Dean Koontz's "The House of Thunder".
1. Derek

Inspired by Dean Koontz's The House of Thunder

The sensation of light beyond his closed eyes stirred him. Turning his head to the side he realized that his hair was long. He tried to raise his head but it felt as though everything below his head was non-existent. He struggled for a bit more but felt a darkness sweep over him as his exhausted mind gave out.

His eyes snapped open and he couldn't stop the racing heart or the heaving breaths. He had to get up, he had to run, he had to do _something_!

"Doctor! He's awake! Mr. Evans, it's alright! We gave you an adrenaline shot to see if you'd react, everything's fine!" The name Mr. Evans didn't ring a bell, but he knew that it was a dangerous thing. He tried to tell the unseen speaker that Mr. Evans was bad, but all that came out was a thin creak.

A face loomed over his. His eyes focused on it and he realized that he knew her face. His mind raced as he felt a rising tide of emotions wash over him. _Nora?_ Darkness.

Again his eyes open. He raises his head and nearly passes out from shock when he's actually able to get it off the pillow. Emboldened by his he raises up onto his elbows and eventually makes it to a sitting position. Winded, he lets his head droop and rests there for a minute. _MacCready._ Startled he picks his head back up, expecting to see him standing there with his…

The thought vanishes. He strains as hard as he can but the only thing he can recall is something about a toy, maybe a toy soldier?

 _Great, so I got nothing but two names and something about a soldier. Way to go_ …he suddenly realizes he's not sure of his name. Did it start with a D? Or maybe it was a B? He strains his brain trying to dig anything up but the only thing he can be sure of is that it ends in a K…or maybe a C? _Fuck._

A sound from his left drew his attention. A woman wearing a dark blue outfit entered his line of sight, her outfit burning his eyes in the white room.

"Mr. Evans! So glad you're awake!" She hurried over to him and helped him lay back down. Though he fought so long to get up, the support of the bed was a welcome aid to his battered body.

"Wh…ere?" He managed to work his jaw and was rewarded with a shocked look from the spark.

"Where? This is the Massachusetts Bay Medical Center. You're a patient here – have been for a few weeks now. What's the last thing you can remember?"

 _A smile. Broken, rotted teeth but it's the best smile he's ever seen._ He blinks, trying to connect that memory to something or someone else.

"I…can't." He gestures at his throat hopelessly and the nurse nods. "Don't worry honey, I'll get you something that'll help."

She left and returned a short time later holding a cup with a straw. He tried to rise, but the spark put a hand softly on his shoulder and nudged him down.

"Here sweetie, lay yourself down." She pulled out a spoon and scooped something out of the cup. He opened his mouth and she spilled something into his mouth.

The instant he realized it was a piece of ice, his head erupted in pain as images and sounds flashed through his mind's eye.

 _Ice, frozen. Nora, no no no, NORA!_ _Shaun, why did they take my…SHAUN! White, white everywhere. From the walls to the coats to his hair. No it couldn't be, could it? An explosion, another one. One to start it one to finish it._

" _Don't go too far, I like being close."_

He realized he was thrashing and writhing as his mind was assaulted with disjointed thoughts and half-remembered memories. He tried to find a way to turn off the flood of memories but it was a prick of a needle that caught his fevered attention. Instantly he felt a numbing sensation sweep his body.

 _Muscle relaxant. Non-narcotic, low threat risk. Let the drug work through your system, no easily available method to counteract._ The thoughts floated to the top of the chaos and suddenly he found clarity. For some reason he knew about muscle relaxants. That he could work with. Keeping his face still, he quickly ran through a self-awareness checklist, _how do I know that phrase?_

He was in somewhere with access to powerful medication and a need for cleanliness. He was alive, and he needed to find Nora, who was somewhere cold. Shaun was someone important and needed to be found, even more so than Nora. Also, someone name MacCready was involved, most likely an ally, but that was conjecture. Also his name was not Mr. Evans. It was Claire. Mr. Claire.

By the time he finished his list the relaxant had done its job and he felt numb again. He started to panic but then he saw the familiar face again. She parted the gathered people and ran her hand down his cheek, finger trailing along the curve of his chin.

"Oh, honey. I missed you so much!"

"N…ora." He swallowed and tried again. "Nora." Her eyes glistened as she nodded.

"You remember me? Oh thank God, the doctors said you might not!" He stared hard at her face, committing it to memory. He might not remember much, but he knew he missed her. _But wasn't she somewhere cold?_

"You were cold?" Nora cocked her head and he shook his slightly. "Somewhere cold." Nora frowned slightly and ran her hand again down his cheek.

"Oh honey, you must be thinking of when I got stuck in the snowstorm last year. No, I'm fine. You rescued me, like you always do. You're my brave soldier." His eyes widened. _Is that the toy soldier? Was that me?_ He couldn't be sure, but he felt like he was missing something.

"What's…my name?" Nora's hand stilled and fell to his chest, her palm steady and warm on his chest. "Derek. Your name is Derek Evans."

 _No, it's not. It's Derek Claire._ _But why would Nora be wrong about my name? Is she wrong?_ His mind began racing again and he felt the familiar sensation of darkness creeping upon his consciousness. He vainly tried to raise a hand, but the darkness swept him before he could even realize he'd failed.

 _A dark room, filled with clutter and smoke. Any sounds I make are swallowed up in the ink running through my fingers. Across the room the sound of metal clanking against itself starts, and I try to follow it. But I keep getting turned around on the flight deck. Where is the Proctor? Why is my noodle bowl taking so long? Normally it's ready before I can even apply the stimpak, the blood oozing down my arm. It was merely a graze and the General must stand strong. A flash of light, robots grabbing me, crying for rescue. One decision to end the battle, one to end the world, one to start a new world. Why am I here? I was looking for the lost kid, wasn't I? The ink flows through my finger, and the child breaths it. Eyes that are lit meet mine._

" _You were warned. You cannot win. Father always wins in the end."_

The nightmare lifted and Derek fought back the nausea, bile burning in his throat. Rising in his bed he silver light of the moon filtering through the narrow window has turned the blindingly white room a shade of grey. Restless from his nightmare he looked over his body, trying to see why he was so sore and tired.

He counted at least seven severe bruises on his arm, and a finger splint on his left ring finger. What could be a bruise on his chest just above his left nipple, but it was too high up on his chest and he couldn't see it. Wrapped abdomen suggested a bruised or broken rib, and there was swelling on his ankle, and discoloration on his toes. Taking his fingers, he carefully felt as much as his back as he could and was rewarded with several sore spots. Feeling his face he realized there were bandages on his nose and on his forehead in three spots, each spot tender and hot to the touch. Inspection done, Derek lay back down and tried to probe his memory for any hints on what to do.

 _I need to find out what they want and why I'm here, before I can do anything. But should I talk with them? No._

" _I should have never trusted him. The ones we trust the most can hurt us the most."_

" _But what if trusting them is the key to being able to handle their betrayal? Even if he hurt you, you have friends here, Derek. Trust us to help you."_

 _Dammit, where are you now though? I need you MacCready!_

The thought made his mind freeze, the feeling of grief and fear paralyzing him. Derek suddenly realized how alone he was. So preoccupied with his thoughts he didn't hear the footsteps until they were next to his bed.

"Derek? Are you awake?" Nora's voice cooled his mind, her hand a welcome sensation pulling him from his thoughts.

He turned and smiled at her, "Hey."

She smiled and ran her hand through his hair, her finger nails tingling his scalp. A moan of pleasure slipped through him and his eyes fluttered shut.

"You know, I always joked about you sleeping with your barber, I guess you really just like having your hair messed with?" Derek chuckled and stretched as much as his body would let him.

"Hey Nora, how long have I been in the hospital?" Nora's hand continued it lazy circle through his hair but dropped away when Nora started to answer.

"That's a good question. I guess I lost count, to be honest." Derek opened an eye and regarded her coldly, "You lost count?" Nora caught the tone and flushed.

"I'm sorry if you think that makes me a bitch, but I didn't even know you were home! I was trying to put Shaun down for a nap when the phone rings. All I was told was that you suffered injury while carrying out a mission, and that you were being sent state-side for recovery." _Shaun? He's here too?_

"Did you say Shaun?" Derek rose to sitting again, legs crossed under him for support.

"Yes, Shaun – our son?" Derek nodded, but something was bothering him.

"Did he have white hair?"

"No, he has blonde hair, just like his daddy." Nora sat on the bed facing him and put a hand on his knee. "I know this must be disorienting, the doctors say there's no telling what memories are lost or just temporarily missing. Do you remember anything?"

"Actually, yeah. I had a really weird dream, but I remember a name. Does the name, MacCready mean anything to you?" Before Nora can answer the door opens a man in a doctor's coat strides into the room.

 _His lined face matches the weary look in his eye. He tells me that what I've been chasing isn't the real thing, its not him. His eyes betray him and I know it before he even says it._

" _I am Shaun. I am your son." His silver hair catches the light, blinding in the white room._

The memory washes over him and he almost calls the entrant Shaun but Nora speaks first.

"Oh! Doctor Xavier! Good evening!" The doctor glances at Nora briefly before fixing his eyes on Derek. He's not sure why, but he gets a distinct feeling that Doctor Xavier hated him.

"I'm sorry I was not here earlier, Mrs. Evans. How are you feeling, Mr. Evans?" His clipped tone seemed to carry the same animosity as the doctor's eyes. Overcome by the sudden rush adrenaline Derek's hand groped at his side.

 _The hell am I doing? Was I reaching for a gun?_

"Mr. Evans? How are you feeling?" Derek realized he hadn't replied to the doctor.

"Well, Doc, to be honest? I've felt better. How the hell I get so beat up if I was asleep for weeks?" Nora glared at his tone, but Derek ignored her.

"I apologize for the confusion, Mr. Evans. But you arrived in much worse condition. We were not informed of the cause of your injuries, jus that you were to be treated for them all." _Was that a snarl? I can't tell, damn._

"Some of these injuries look fresh though, especially the swelling on my ankles. How can that still be occurring?" Nora looked taken aback, as though she was the one being questioned, not the doctor.

"As I said, sir. The cause of your injuries is unknown. If you were in contact with any chemical agent, high amounts of radiation, a biological agent, or had an unusual diet these could all cause swelling that would persist for weeks, even years." Although Derek wasn't done questioning the doctor, Doctor Xavier began taking his vitals and called for various samples of fluid to test for any of the aforementioned causes of swelling. The process took several hours and once Derek's done with the last blood draw he collapsed on the bed exhausted.

Nora had left earlier to go pick Shaun up from the sitter that was watching him. Derek wasn't sure how he felt about his son. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to hold him – something his few memories agreed with. On the other hand, though, the idea of holding Shaun was wrong.

 _Well doesn't that just sum up my life? Do it, but don't do it, dammit. Can't I just have one easy day?_

" _Blue, with you around I doubt no one in the whole Commonwealth will ever have an easy day!"_ The sensation of a feminine hand holding his.

" _But Blue, we can't give up. I mean, you fought the Institute and won!"_

" _Yeah, but then Danse went and…God, Piper. I'm not sure how much more weight I can carry on my shoulders."_

" _C'mon Blue. We're taking a day off! Let's go shopping in Diamond City. No ammo, no guns, just clothes and bars!"_

"The Institute?" Derek probed the memory, hoping to shake more loose, but his mind refused to budge. Frustrated, Derek sat up and screamed into his pillow. Frustration spent, he flung the pillow back down. Caught up in the adrenaline rush, he didn't notice it earlier, but he suddenly realized how parched he was. Doctor Xavier had taken off his IV lines, so Derek was now free to roam the halls unhindered.

Padding out of his room, Derek turned left, away from the lights and further down the darkened hallway. He passed numerous rooms, but the lights were all out and he couldn't tell if they were empty or not. Passing a room with a single light on, he looked for any approaching staff. Pressing his rising sense of panic down, he turned the knob and slipped into the room.

The light came from an overhead light over the single bed. Moving in closer, Derek could see the bed was occupied by something. He let himself take one shuddering breath and then moved in to see who it was.

A child, about seven or eight, with dark hair and olive skin. His mouth was open Derek could see that his right canine tooth was chipped, the point missing.

" _And I'm just so worried about me boy! He's always gettin' into trouble, that one! Please, mister, you gotta help me find 'im!"_ The voice he heard was familiar and simultaneously terrifying. Backing away from the effigy in terror, Derek stumbled over a piece of medical equipment and hit the ground hard. The noise rose the boy who slowly rose to a sitting position and began sweeping his head back and forth mechanically.

"No movement detected. Search program ended." _The voice from my nightmare! "'You were warned. You cannot win. Father always wins in the end'!"_

Scrambling from the room, Derek ran back into the hallway and sprinted as fast as he could back to his room. Throwing open a door at random he entered and was surprised to not find a hospital bed. Instead, there was a series of tables with various items on them. Some appeared to be gun, other were round like grenades. Following the weapon-laden tables, he eventually realized that the room was longer than he expected. He counted at least four doors since he entered, and the room still seemed to stretch another two or three.

 _This is enough for a whole army! What are they trying to keep out?_

 _What are they trying to keep in?_ Derek froze, his body humming with adrenaline. He knew that was the right question. The weapons were to keep something trapped inside, not keep something from getting in.

Finally reaching the end of the room, Derek found an assortment of items. There were folded clothes, what could be pieces of armor, and an odd circular piece of armor with a screen on the top. He picked it up and turned it over, pointing the dusty screen up. He wiped it with his thumb and noticed that it had his name underneath the cartoonish drawing. Turning a few knobs, he found himself on an inventory list. Looking through it, he found something called, "Hi Honey!" He pressed play and fell to the ground as the recording played.

"Bye honey! We love you!" The holodisk ended and the Pip-boy fell silent. Sitting in the dark as his mind struggled through the new memories, Derek finally noticed that he was cold. Putting the Pip-boy back, Derek sullen trod through the armory of Institute pistols and plasma grenades. He stepped back into the hallway and found his way back to his room. He crawled into the bed and let the tears wash down his face until sleep took him.

The morning sun didn't wake Derek. He hadn't slept for longer than a few hours, plagued with nightmares and fragments of memoires slowly floating back to his consciousness. Instead, he had spent the night preparing for his move. With most of his memory back, Derek was ready to move from defense to offense. And he knew the right person to put his plan in action.

"Hello Mr. Evans. How are you feeling this morning?" X6 entered the room, studiously pretending to read pages on a clipboard. Derek waited for the door to close before speaking.

"Better than Father felt when I exploded his life work around him." X6's face morphed into a snarl and he began reaching for something under his coat when Derek pulled out the grenade.

"I wouldn't X6. Wouldn't want to hurt Daddy, now would we?" X6 snorted, "You killed Father already. I have no obligation to protect you any longer."

"Now, we both know that bullshit. I'm guessing by my injuries that I fought like hell to not end up here. Yet, I'm receiving excellent care. I'm needed alive." X6 didn't flinch or even react. Derek hoped he guessed right.

"Alright, traitor. What do you want, a way out?" X6 pulled his hand out from under his coat and let his hands fall to his side.

"First, turn off that radio. I know you have one on. Then we'll talk the terms of my being a hostage." X6 reached back under his coat, his hand manipulating something at his side. Withdrawing his hand, Derek pulled the pin on his grenade.

"Now, I'm guessing you'll survive this blast. But I won't. More importantly, my blood won't. No blood, no DNA. And I'm guessing with your pure pre-War DNA blown up and corrupted by the fallout of the reactor, you're hurting." X6's eyes flared slightly and Derek smirked.

"I was copying a Grognak comic, but it looks like I'm on the right track."

"There are unforeseen complications of your cold betrayal of Father's kindness." Derek laughed coldly.

"So, I'm warning you, you piss me off or even irk me, I go down as a pile of irradiated ooze, understood?"

"I accept these terms." Derek put the pin back in the grenade.

"Excellent, now my little puppet, we have much work to do and only about an hour before Nora two-point-oh shows up. Let's get to work."


	2. Nora

Nora hated the hospital. It was too sterile for her tastes. She was more comfortable in the mess and disorder of her law office, or in the minor chaos of Shaun's surroundings. But, her husband was in the hospital, so Nora was determined to be there with him, no matter her feelings. He'd been gone for a few months on "official business" and now that he'd shown back up beat to hell, Nora was not letting him slip through her fingers again. She turned the corner and smiled at Dr. Xavier as he left Derek's room.

He glanced at her and scowled as he stormed past her in the narrow hallway. Once he passed her Nora stuck her tongue out at his back. She didn't know why he was so sullen, but she figured having Derek as a patient couldn't help. The man could charm the bite out of a snake, as her Dad was fond of saying, but once he got even the slightest bit sick, he was miserable to be around. Putting on her biggest smile, she stepped into his room.

"What did you do to upset Dr. Xavier now?" Derek looked up and smiled at her. She sat down on the end of the bed, facing him.

"Well, I might have complained that none of the nurses were cute." Nora put her purse on the bed next to her and gaped at Derek.

"Why would you do that?" Derek laughed and Nora felt her stomach flutter. Even after all this time, he still charmed her.

"Well, you see my dear wife, I needed a cute nurse to make you insanely jealous so that you would demand I come home immediately and I could make it up to you. Possibly multiple times." Nora laughed, scandalized by his humor.

Suddenly she found herself in his lap and he was kissing her deeply, her body responding before her brain even realized what was going on. Pressing herself against him, she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer, her free hand bracing herself.

A sudden clatter made her jump and Derek threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"Damn! Sorry honey, guess I got a bit excited!" Nora laughed and cleared her throat. Derek went around the bed and started picking up what had fallen – a quick check of the bed revealed it to have been her purse. He handed her the purse and sheepishly grinned. Cocking her finger, Nora leaned forward, a smile on her lips. Derek leaned in, but she leaned even further and put her mouth next to his ear.

"If you broke my mirror, I swear you'll be making it up to me for a very long time." Kissing his temple, she leaned back and rose to leave. Derek kneeled on the bed and grabbed her hand.

"Nora. I'm sorry."

"For what?" Nora kissed his knuckles and breathed in his scent.

"I vanished again. And I don't know if I'll have to do it again. But I want you to know that I never stop thinking of you." Nora's heart sank under the weight of the sorrow in his words. Overcome, she pulled him close and held him. Guiding him back down onto the bed, Nora realized how much she had missed him. Kissing him chastely on the forehead, she returned to their empty home.

Setting her purse on the side table Nora walked through the small house and let her imagination fill it with images of Derek home again, watching Shaun walk across the living room, eating dinner at the table. She pressed a hand to her chest and leaned against the wall as her and Derek danced along with the radio. She held him close and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him in for a kiss as they swayed in place, the phantom notes fading away as Nora roused herself from the day dream.

Reaching into her purse to find her keys, Nora's fingers brushed up against something soft. Pulling it out, she realized it was some toilet paper, folded neatly into a small square. Unfolding it, she found that it was covered in Derek's heavy scrawl.

 _Nora,_

 _I need you to understand something. Something vitally important. I am not safe here. I don't know what is going on, but the doctors and nurses here are lying about something big. Honey, I know you always think that I'm reading too far into things, but you also know that my job is about figuring out these things._

 _Dr. Xavier is not a real doctor, he's a mercenary from a group of dangerous thugs that kidnap people to extort their families for money. I don't know why they've targeted me or you, but I need your help. I think I can keep them from figuring out that I'm on to them, but I'll need your help to escape them. Nora, I know you're scared right now, and maybe even a bit mad, but you also know that I would never lie to you. Not like this._

 _Nora, if you don't believe me and think that I'm making this up, I won't blame you. But, if by some chance you can see that I'm not lying to you and that I really do need you now, bring me a bobby pin as a sign of your belief. If you don't bring me one, I will never talk about it again._

 _Nora, I love you._

 _Derek_

"What the hell?" She reread the note, looking on the back for any other hints as to what was going on but her search revealed no new clues. Just the frantic scrawl of her husband who claimed to be trapped in a fake hospital.

"Oh Derek, what are you doing?" More importantly, what was she doing, believing this note? It can't be real, but if it was…could she live with the consequences of it being a lie? Oh man, it was Pascal's wager. Should he be right and she worked with him, the rewards surely outweighed any risk of him being right and her not working with him? Right?

"Oh hell Nora, you always complained that being a stay at home mom was boring! Just put a damn bobby pin in your purse! Hell, bring a whole damn box of them!" Her mind made up, she did just that. With that settled she changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed and slept soundly, the ember of rebellion burning deep in her gut.

The next day she made her way through the hallways to Derek's room, conscious of the rattling noise the box of bobby pins made in her purse. Ducking into his room, Nora kissed the top of his head and put her purse on the small night stand next to the bed.

"Hey Nora! How was your day?" Sliding over, Derek pulled her down next to him.

"Well, aside from thinking I'm going crazy, it was actually a pretty bland day."

"Going crazy? Did you forget your file for court?" Nora laughed, remembering the many times that very scenario had driven her up the wall in court. She hated being underprepared.

"No, but I found the most _interesting_ article in the paper today. And I just couldn't stop thinking about it." Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the box of bobby pins and placed them on Derek's lap. "The article was about how husbands often times did the strangest things, but that their doting wives needed to have faith in their husbands. So, I figured that I would."

She turned and faced Derek head on and was surprised to see his eyes filling with tears. She almost asked what was wrong, but Derek hugged her close and between sobs thanked her for loving him enough to trust him. She let him cry into her shoulder for a few minutes, relishing in the feeling his touch.

All too soon, however, Derek leaned back and wiped a tear from his eye. Taking a shuddering breath, Derek smiled wickedly.

"Ready to go all the way?" Nora met his smile with one of her own.

"Let's do this." Derek laid out the plan for her, including her first step. Leaving his room to head home, she sought out Dr. Xavier and found him talking with a nurse about a patient. Waiting for a break in the conversation, Nora spoke loudly, her voice filling the empty hallway and nurse's station.

"I want to take my husband home."

"Absolutely not. His inflammation and injuries are far too great to be allowed outside the constant care of a hospital." Dr. Xavier didn't even look up from his clipboard on the counter. Nora crossed her arms and glared at the doctor's back.

"Are you telling me that I, as an American citizen, cannot take my husband home under our own free will?"

"No, what I'm saying is that your husband has to stay here." Had he been paying attention, he would have noticed the smirk on Nora's face.

"So, my husband must remain here even though he wants to leave." Dr. Xavier let out a frustrated sigh.

"Yes. Now please, visiting hours are over and you must go home."

"Oh, don't worry Doctor. I'm leaving. But I'm coming here tomorrow with an arrest warrant for illegal detainment of an American citizen by a non-peace keeping agent, an injunction against you and this hospital, and armed police to ensure my husband is no longer held as a prisoner in this hospital!" She shouted the last part and began storming down the hallway to the door, taking care to note that all the nurses and Dr. Xavier were following her, clamoring for her to stop and talk to them. Instead, she led them down another hallway and turned once all of her audience had filled in.

"Mrs. Evans! Please I must ask you to keep your voice down in the hospital!" Nora rose up to her full height. Even though Dr. Xavier still towered over her, she had spent her entire professional life dealing with arrogant men. She waited for him to fall silent, and spoke clearly and loudly – her "court voice" as Derek called it.

"Dr. Xavier, as you know, an American citizen may remove themselves from medical care of a professional so long as the patient in doing so does not put them or other in threat of harm. My husband is still injured from whatever happened to him, but unless you have evidence that he is in need of constant medical care, then you have no grounds to detain him here." Dr. Xavier opened his mouth to speak, but Nora cut him off. "Furthermore, due to the nature of the wounds and the relative healing speed of a healthy adult male, I would speculate that his wounds were caused by blunt and sharp force trauma approximately one to two weeks prior to me seeing him for the first time." Dr. Xavier snorted.

"And what would you know about how the human body handles a beating?" Nora resisted the temptation to stick her tongue out at his rude tone, instead, she busied herself by pretending to check her nails.

"I might not be a medical doctor, however, my extensive work in both criminal and insurance fraud cases have given me a deep well of knowledge of the human body. Such as how no professional would call it 'a beating', to quote you exactly, unless he or she was sure of the cause of the contusions. Oh, sorry, bruising." Dr. Xavier's eyes flashed dangerously, but Nora did not back down.

"And seeing as how the last time we spoke you suggested that it was a toxin that was causing the symptoms my poor husband continues to suffer from, I would say that you had changed your professional diagnosis. However, since you have not changed your treatment program nor even spoken about it with either my husband or me, as I am the person with power of attorney over him, I must assume that you're either incompetent or are trying to keep my husband prisoner. So I'll also be suing you for negligence or malpractice, possible both."

A loud buzzer sounded in the hallway with Derek's room, and Nora pulled her purse onto her shoulder, her hands dangerous fists around the strap.

"Now, unless you really want me to bring this hospital down into financial ruin, you will attend to whichever poor soul is asking for help immediately! Good day Doctor!" Moving through the small throng of nurses, Nora barely managed to keep the grin from her face. She loved telling off men who thought her too be just another vapid housewife. She was a woman, but that didn't mean anything in the courtroom. There, she was just like everyone else, except smarter and willing to go to great lengths to get what she wanted.

And she wanted her husband back.

Her job completed, Nora headed home and prepped for the next day. Derek had said that today was about setting up the chess board and that Nora's threats of legal action would galvanize Xavier into action on their terms. He said that being forced to move too early would make him weaker. She had no idea what Derek had planned, but she readied the tools he had asked for anyway. After gathering them, she stepped into her library, curious about the threats she had made to Xavier. If Derek's plan failed, it would be up to her to save him. And she might not have a lot of time to prepare for that outcome.

Settling into her bed, she donned her glasses and began reading the legal code until she fell asleep, laws and tactics racing around her head.

The next morning, she showed up at the hospital with legal books in hand and her tote filled with supplies for Derek's plan. Marching through the hallways to Derek's room, she was glad to see that many of the staff were afraid to meet her eye. They would respectfully nod and then quickly dart away to do something else somewhere else. Nora smiled and felt herself standing taller and walking more slowly as a feeling of power overcame her.

"Never let it be said that Nora Evans, Esquire shied away from confrontation!" Letting herself into Derek's room she let out a happy sigh and sat on the bed next to a smiling Derek.

"What's gotten into you?" Nora laughed and dropped the tote on Derek's lap.

"I have stricken fear into the hearts of everyone here! Derek, if nothing else, you have made me feel powerful, like a lioness about to strike one of them!" She let out another laugh and Derek pantomimed being a lion tamer, making cracking noises as he snapped his whip at her.

"I have to be careful here, lest the fierce lioness kill me in one fell swoop!" Nora swatted him and took deep breaths until the laughter subsided. Somber again, she picked up a book and continued reading from where she had left a bookmark.

"So, Mr. Lion Tamer, what's our next move?"

"Well, you set the board up. All the pieces have been moved into position. Now, it's time for the checkmate." She glanced up from her book and raised an eyebrow.

"I never knew you played chess." The look Derek gave her could only be described as evil.

"Oh, there's more than you'll ever know about me. Now, are you ready?" Shaken by his flippant comment, Nora pulled the open book against her chest.

"Derek, what exactly are you planning to do?" Ignoring her, he pulled out a bulky device and put it in her purse, pulling out her books until it fit and could be zipped shut. "Derek, look at me. Derek!" He finally looked at her, and Nora almost wished he hadn't. The mask that she saw was one that would inspire terror in people. She quickly slipped off the bed and grabbed her purse. "Derek, whatever you do, please just make sure you come back to me." Her request made, she stepped into the hallway and began walking away from the lights of the entrance. A nurse noticed her and started to speak, but a single glance from Nora was enough to silence the young woman who quickly escaped into a room.

Heels clicking loudly in the empty hallway, Nora reached an intersection. One path looped to the right, likely to the entrance. The other, darkened and cluttered with extra gurneys, continued to the left perpendicular to Nora. She hesitated, wondering if she could do what he wanted. Nervously shifting her purse on her shoulder, she heard something shuffling in there. Opening it, she found a box of bobby pins, the same box she had given Derek.

With one last wistful glance to the right, she turned left and began weaving through the cramped hallway. The hallway stretched on for a few minutes but ended at a pair of white doors blocked by a gurney. Nora looked around, wondering if she had missed a turn in the gloom, but found only the two doors. Moving the gurney, she pressed on the bar to open the door. A clicking sound, familiar to her through the numerous radio shows Derek listened to, came from behind her.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Evans, but you may not leave that way." Swallowing her fear, she turned and regarded the nurse holding the pistol. Her dark clothing made it hard to see her in the gloom, but her eyes seemed to glow with an inner light.

"Sorry? Why is this exit off limits?" The nurse didn't react except to hold out her other hand, palm up.

"I don't understand. I just want to leave, why can't I use this door?" The nurse blinked and Nora thought she heard something whirring in the quiet.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Evans, but you may not leave that way." Nora stepped back from the woman, her back pressing into the door. The nurse pointed the gun at her head, mere feet from her. The two women regarded each other when finally Nora moved forward and hung her head.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll leave through the entrance." The nurse started to pull the gun back but Nora lunged and grabbed her hand. Letting her momentum carry them forward, Nora slammed the nurse into a stack of gurneys, the clattering of the metal deafening in the silence.

The nurse struck out with her hand, burying it into Nora's stomach, but Nora kept her grip on the gun and pulled hard, harder than she ever had. The gun slipped out from the nurse's hand and slid across the room. Her hands suddenly free, Nora grabbed the nurse's now empty hand and swung her into the other side of the hallway. The nurse hit the wall but, much to Nora's dismay, seemed unaffected. Instead she launched a wicked punch that hit Nora's head with enough force to send the woman to the ground.

Dazed from the fall, Nora shook her head and saw the nurse heading for where the gun had fallen.

"No!" On instinct, Nora kicked out and managed to hit the nurse in the back of the thigh, knocking her down. Nora launched herself at the nurse and tackled her to the ground, her purse becoming a bludgeoning weapon. She battered the nurse a few time before the nurse smashed her head into Nora's face. Falling back from the force, Nora lost her grip on the nurse and the nurse broke free, scrambling for where the gun was.

A sudden memory surfaced in Nora's scrambled thought process. It had been early in Derek and Nora's courtship and Nora had just told him about a client she was worried about. She didn't remember why, but she knew the client could be dangerous. Derek showed her some simple holds from his martial arts training in case the client showed up. The holds weren't supposed to hurt the other person, but it was enough to hold them still, long enough that Nora could figure out a new plan.

Nora flung herself forward, grabbing the nurse by the ankle and pulling her down to the ground with a heavy thud. Pulling herself onto the nurse, she looped her arms around the nurse's and linked her fingers behind the nurse's head. The nurse arched her back trying to get free but Nora rolled over with the nurse so that the two of them were sitting. The nurse fought and struggled, but Nora managed to hold on.

"Okay, I'm going to admit I didn't plan for this. But obviously you plan to kill me and I can't let you do that. So, sorry about that." The nurse turned her head and glared at Nora.

"You traitorous, dim-witted bitch! He's the answer to our survival, and you're letting him escape?"

"Hey, watch your language, and what exactly do you mean?" The nurse sneered and shook her head.

"Oh my god, you actually think you're her! That's so quaint, but tell me doppelgänger, what do you think he's going to do with you once he's done with you?"

"What do you mean?" Nora couldn't keep the note of desperation out of her voice. She had a feeling that the nurse was holding a key piece of information, and Nora desperately needed it.

"Poor little robot, all ready for the real world, but with no idea what the means!" She pushed up, ripping free of Nora's hold. Turning, she kicked Nora in the side of the head, sending her sprawling.

"Little N0-783 is so ready to be someone she isn't. But she can't. He'll never love you, you're nothing but a-" The gun in Nora's hands went off and the bullet through her head silenced the rest of the taunt. She fell to the ground silently and Nora fought back the bile that rose in her throat. Shakily standing, Nora stumbled over to the fallen nurse and gazed down, morbid curiosity seizing her.

The nurse's eyes were still opened, and Nora could see a bit through the bullet hole, the inner workings of the nurse's head exposed. Except, where was the blood? And the brain matter? Nora had seen enough crime scene photos to know something was wrong. She opened her purse and pulled out the device in it. Turning up the brightness, she held it over the nurse, the greenlight giving everything a decidedly odd look.

But nothing was odder than the wound. There was no blood, and Nora couldn't see any bone fragments in the wound. Instead it looked as though there was plastic and metal. Moving the light off the nurse's face, she realized what she thought was blood on the floor was too bright. Dipping her finger in the liquid she realized it was cold and felt like oil. Rising from her crouched position, she continued to rub her fingers together as she tried to understand what had just happened. Had the nurse called her a, _robot_? Nora stood in the dark hallway, lost in thought when the fire alarms started to sound.

She flinched from the sudden cacophony, and realized Derek was moving onto his next step. She fled outside and pressed the switches on the device like Derek had shown her. A message popped up on the screen and she put the device down, waiting for Derek to start the final part of their plan. Looking around the barren landscape Nora wondered why there seemed to be lightning in the distance. But she didn't have time to wonder. Behind her, she thought she heard an explosion. Whirling, she suddenly realized she hadn't held onto the pistol in the shock of killing the nurse. She held her purse up, ready to bring it smashing down onto whoever came through the door.

A few more explosion, closer this time, and Nora could hear someone screaming in pain. She heard someone running down the hallway and nearly swung her purse, but she saw it was Derek and instead she let her purse fall to the ground, the device inside clunking loudly on the hardened ground. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, to relieved to care about the weird armor he wore.

"Derek, thank god!" He held her but pulled her off and swallowed some pills, looking nervously at the sky.

"Derek! Are those chems?" He shook his head and pocketed the pills.

"Rad-X, how else do you expect me to survive out here?" He knelt and put on the device, tapping it as he softly spoke to himself.

"Rad-X? Derek, what do you mean?" Derek looked up, confused.

"Do you not see the glowing green air? This place is laced with rads!" He held out his arm and pointed at a dial on it. "The Geiger counter is going crazy. Do you seriously not see the green sky, or the lighting?"

Nora looked around at the blue sky. She did see the lighting, and there was a funny taste to the air, like she was standing by a power station. "I see flashes of light, but the sky is blue." Derek shook his head, a look of sadness making him look older than his years.

"Yeah, it's blue." He tapped the device a few times before nodding and reached into the duffle bag beside him. It was a large gun, which he checked over a few times. Checking the magazine he popped it back in and noticed Nora's slacked-jaw look of shock.

"What, you honestly thought that we could just waltz out of here?" Nora's already whirling brain barely registered the dangerous tone that she'd never heard in Derek before. Before she could speak, Derek grabbed her and pulled her back into the hospital.

He put a finger to his lips and crouched low, pulling Nora down with him. Outside, a low humming noise started and began getting louder. Soon she couldn't hear anything over the noise, and dust started flying through the air, stinging her eyes and coating her mouth. She looked outside and nearly gasped out loud, only Derek's hand clamping over her mouth silenced her.

It was a Vertibird, like the military uses and inside where three people in full power armor, the metal glinting dully in the light. They got off and one started looking around, the weapon in his hands raised to his facemask. He turned and gestured to the other two, pointing at the open door. Nora turned to ask Derek what to do, but he shook his head and shot her a menacing glare, his hands working on something in the dark.

The three started slowly moving to the door and Derek threw something through the doorway, pulling Nora close to him. A deafening blast rattled the gurneys and sent dust flying through the air. Not waiting for Nora's sense of balance to return, he roughly yanked her out the door and past the three figures and the small crater from the blast.

They got to the Vertibird when a fourth figure in an odd orange jumpsuit launched himself onto Derek. Twisting, Derek threw him off, but the man pulled out a small gun and started shooting what looked like lasers at him. Nora shook her head, still reeling from the blast when a line of bullets ripped across the sand between her and the Vertibird. Derek threw himself backwards, and with a muttered curse dragged the stunned Nora away from the Vertibird.

With a practiced motion he pulled the gun from his shoulder and lined up a shot. It hissed out and Nora saw the young man's head explode, the body dropping in the cockpit where he had been furiously working. Derek thrust a gun into Nora's hand and pulled out a different gun from the duffle bag.

"I hope to God you know how to shoot! We've got synths on the way, and the BOS pinning us down!"

"Derek! I don't understand! What's going on? Who are those people, what are you doing? Derek, who are you?"

Derek lined up a shot and shot at flying Vertibird. Another figure fell from it, dropping to the ground limply. He put his arms down and turned to Nora as he shoved what looked like spikes into the gun.

"I'm Derek, the sole survivor of vault 111. And right now, I'm the one telling you that you'll either help me fight or we'll both end up dead. Does that answer your question?" They both raced around the corner of the building as blue lights shot out of the hallway at them and the Vertibird. Leaning against the wall the two of them panted.

"No! But if you need my help, I'll try my best." Derek nodded.

"Good, now to shoot that thing you point it at whatever you don't want shooting you and pull the trigger. Go ahead and pull it a few times. Make sure your target is really down. I need you to keep anything away from that Vertibird. I'll handle the Brotherhood. Ready?" Nora shook her head, but she held her gun like Derek held his and checked the magazine.

"GO!" Explodin


	3. Shaun

"I don't know why no one talks about it. Everyone is thinking about it, but why won't they talk about it?" Dogmeat cocked his head at Shaun's concerned tone but offered no answer. Suddenly upset, Shaun seized a nearby stick and threw it with all his might. Dogmeat raced after it and returned it with an excited wag and soft woof. Shaun managed a small smile and obliged Dogmeat in a few more throws. Bored of the game, Shaun rose and walked slowly to the porch by the workbench.

He found he liked sitting there, sometimes talking with the other adults, sometimes just sitting in the still air and enjoying the scenery. RJ told him that he was born in the house just across the road from the porch, and some part of Shaun wondered if he should feel more connected to it. But he didn't. While he loved his dad and all the other adults at Sanctuary Hills, he still sometimes missed his room at the Institute with Father. He'd had all sorts of toys and things to take apart and mess with.

He sat on the edge of the porch and hugged his knees close, his mind preoccupied with endless questions. When the hand ruffled his hair, he found himself unusually annoyed and shied away from MacCready.

"Hey Shaun, why the face?" Shaun shrugged as MacCready sat beside him. His coat billowed out behind him and Shaun was reminded of the pictures of kings in robes from his story book back at the Institute. MacCready, used to Shaun's moods, let the boy sit silently as he busied himself with cleaning and checking his guns. After a length of time, Shaun spoke.

"Why don't adults tell me the truth?" MacCready coughed, his slight frame jerking from the force of the coughs, and smiled sadly at Shaun.

"You know, I don't know. I guess it's because some people are so afraid of the truth hurting someone that they'd rather tell a lie and hope it was good enough." Shaun mulled over the answer, unused to adults giving him such direct answers.

"But, every story I read where some lied always had the liar being punished. Wouldn't that teach people to stop lying?" Maccready laughed darkly.

"You'd think, wouldn't you?" Shaun glanced sideways at him.

"Why is that so funny?" MacCready paused, the memory of Lucy jabbing at the old wounds.

"Well Shaun. I told a really big lie to someone I really loved. And I never got to tell her the truth, and sometimes I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not." Shaun jumped up, hands fisted at his sides.

"It's not! Why won't people just talk about what's wrong!" MacCready knelled and grabbed Shaun by the shoulders.

"Shaun, what's wrong? I know you're upset and that I'm not your dad, but I do care about you. Please, tell me what's bothering you?"

"Why did Dad kill Danse? Is that why Dad's gone?" He jerked out of MacCready's grasp and roughly wiped his nose on his arm and stared defiantly at MacCready who rose to his full height.

"Listen, I don't think that I should be the one to talk with…"

"No one is! I've asked everyone and no one will talk with me about it! I'm not some stupid little kid! I'm eleven now and that means I can understand things better!" His shouting drew a small crowd, and MacCready looked to them for support.

"I, well, Shaun it's just that…um, you know…"

"Forget it! You're just as bad as the rest of them!" He felt the heat of a blush race up his small frame and screamed the nastiest word he could think of. "FUCK!" Shoving past the stunned MacCready and a few other citizens of the town, he raced up the path to the Vault.

Squeezing through a small gap in the gate, Shaun ran to the top of the hill but didn't stop at the Vault. He raced blindly through the forest to the small outcrop with the small sitting area on it. He liked it there, especially when he wanted to be alone.

Set up and away from the Vault, he could see if anyone came looking for him, but he would be practically invisible there. It also was cooler than the rest of the area so even in the hottest days, Shaun could relax in comfort. He traced the funny symbol on the low wall and wondered again what it meant. It looked like a funny looking star with a plus in the middle. He liked to pretend it was a secret sign from some super-cool group that was meant only for him to see.

But, anger still burning deep in his stomach, he found no comfort in the made up stories of the mysterious sign and the small sitting area. Grabbing a small group of rocks he threw them at empty Nuka-Cola bottles, knocking them down with a satisfying clank sound. But soon he ran out of bottles to throw rocks at and his anger flared again.

 _I'm not some stupid kid! I'm eleven, I'm practically an adult now!_ He flung the rocks as hard as he could through the thick underbrush, but a small yip sent a chill down his spine. He scrambled against the wall and watched horrified as a pair of mole rats crawled out from the brush. They chattered in a high pitched tone and rushed Shaun. Panicking, he vaulted over the wall and fell the short distance to the ground, rolling as he hit the damp forest ground.

Springing to his feet, he saw one of the mole rats leap after him as the other began going around the sitting area in pursuit. His voice paralyzed by fear, he ran back to the Vault, eyes wide and breathing ragged as he pushed his body for every bit of speed he could squeeze from his small legs. He almost missed the growl, but the deep rumble sent a fresh spike of fear into his system, and he screamed as the dark shape raced at him almost faster than he could follow. But it passed him and instead crashed headfirst into the closest mole rat, which screamed in fear and pain as it was crushed. Shaun risked a glance behind him and his heart leapt with joy to realize it was Dogmeat attacking the mole rats.

He raced back to the dog as the second mole rat scrabbled backwards from the bloody corpse of its former partner. Dogmeat, hackles raised and mouth frothing with spittle and blood viciously barked and snarled at the rat. Shaun grabbed a large rock and threw it at the mole rat, hitting it in the tail. The mole rat screamed and fled from the pair, it's chittering fading as it fled.

Shaking, Shaun sunk to his knees and tried to fight the sudden feeling of sickness. Dogmeat whined and head-butted the young boy until he had wedged himself underneath Shaun's arm. With a great deal of shoving and back arching, Dogmeat finally got Shaun to stand and began walking back to Sanctuary Hills, pausing anytime Shaun let go of the dog's collar.

Eventually the pair made it back to Sanctuary Hills, and Shaun endured the endless rounds of adults telling him how foolish it was for him to run off like that or worse yet, the ones who told him how brave he was to face up to the mole rats. Eventually, his lackluster replies and sullen glares drove the adults away and he was left in peace in his bedroom. Exhausted, Shaun falls into a deep sleep, the dreams of being chased by monsters forgotten by the time he wakes the next day.

Stepping outside, Shaun shivers in the cool morning air. Hugging himself for warmth, he ambles around the town absentmindedly. He sees MacCready and is almost tempted to go say hi, but he remembers the anger he felt yesterday and decides he'd rather not. He wanders through a few of the ruined houses and stumbles into Piper packing a bag. She turns, reading something on her notepad, but when she notices Shaun she throws the pad down on the bed and hugs him warmly.

"Shaun! Good morning, how're you?" She releases him and reaches into one of her pockets. She pulls out some candy and holds it out to Shaun. He liked that she always kept some of the stuff he liked on hand. He'd never admit it, but he thought Piper was actually pretty okay for an adult. She was always honest with him, and when she didn't know the answer she would say so instead of making things up like everyone else.

He opened the candy and savored the sweetness of it. Shoving the rest in his mouth, he smiled at Piper and blew a bubble. Letting it pop, he picked it off his lips and swallowed it. He read somewhere that you shouldn't do that, but Piper said as long as he didn't do it all the time it was fine.

"Thanks Piper, you're the best."

"Aww shucks, lil' Blue, I just gotta look out for my second most favorite kid!" She picked up her pad and rifled through the bag, checking her list as she sorted things in the bag.

"Where you going?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm going to Diamond City. With your dad going AWOL, I'm just worried about Nat and want her nearby me for a while. But after that, I plan on joining up with Deacon and checking out a lead on where your dad is."

"What's AWOL?" Piper sighed dramatically, shaking her head and clucking her tongue.

"Oh how far the education system has fallen! It breaks my heart just to see the evidence before me!" Her performance made him smile and he couldn't help but to giggle at her. Satisfied with his reaction she continued packing and talking. "You see, back before the bombs fell the guys in the military couldn't just take days off. They had to ask for them, and if they didn't they would get in some deep shi…trouble." Shaun wondered why no one would cuss around him but didn't ask, to interested in her story. "So, if they did leave without asking permission, called 'leave' back then, then they were absent without leave. Or, AWOL."

"Wait, they couldn't just go somewhere? They had to ask?" Piper nodded as she tucked her pad into the bag and slipped a pistol in her waistband.

"Yup, and to be AWOL was really bad. But now we use it to just mean that someone is gone and we don't know where they are."

"Like the Institute did to the people they replaced?" Piper nodded.

"Exactly. So, I'm going to go find your dad and give him a piece of my mind. Want me to give him a piece of yours?" Shaun puzzled over that, how could _she_ give someone a piece of _his_ mind? It didn't make sense, so he just shook his head.

"No, I just want him back." Piper leaned down and wrapped him in another hug.

"I know, we all do. But don't worry, Deacon's got his whole team hunting him and Preston's organizing a huge search with the Minutemen. We'll find him." She kissed the top of his head and grabbed her bag. Checking her pistol and rifle one last time she said her goodbyes and headed out. Shaun waited a few moments and stepped out into the street himself.

He'd always wanted to go to somewhere new, but Dad had never let him. And with the recent attack by the bandits and the mole rats, Shaun was sure he'd never get to leave Sanctuary Hills. With a small sigh, he headed over to the worktable and started messing around with some of the parts left for him by Sturges.

For a few days, everything was calm. Piper returned with Nat and then left to join up with Deacon and Valentine. MacCready joined with Preston and they left to check out a few leads. Hancock and Cait left to see if any of the drifters in Goodneighbor had heard anything. With most of the town out looking for Derek, Shaun found himself stuck helping Codsworth clean the living spaces. Though it could have been worse, he supposed. Nat was stuck helping Curie care for Duncan. The toddler had a small cold and was constantly crying and whining.

Then, just after noon, the calm was interrupted by a distant whine. Shaun noticed it first and took the first chance he found to slip away from Codsworth. Climbing up the rock piles around the Vault, Shaun looked over the horizon and saw something moving through the air toward the town. His excitement about the find died when he remembered how men in similar machines attacked the town. Quickly scrambling down the pile he raced back to the town shouting about the incoming machine.

He found the few remaining citizens arming themselves, preparing for another attack with terse looks and grim silence. Nat ran out of a nearby house and grabbed him, telling him that he needed to come with her and Curie to the bunker. He almost fought back, but when he saw Strong run by with his huge hammer he was realized just how vulnerable his tiny body would be in a fire fight. Scared by his sudden feeling of vulnerability he allowed Nat to drag him to the bunker.

There, huddled in the dank root cellar turned bunker with Nat, Curie, Duncan, and the Vault-Tec Rep, Shaun thought over his lot in life. He figured that if he wanted to be treated like an adult, he should act more like one. And step one would be to fight his way out of the bunker and join the other adults in defending his home. But first, he would need a weapon. He looked around the room, hoping to find something he could use, but the room was filled with only furniture or food for whoever was hiding there.

Just as he was deciding whether or not to use a can of meat as some sort of hand club, the door opened, the bright noon light blinding him. He scrambled back and grabbed the canned meat, his knuckles white around the corroded metal. Curie stepped before him and pulled out a large laser pistol. Aiming it at the silhouetted figure at the top of the stairs she lightly kicked him out of the way.

"Curie, it's me." At the sound of his dad's voice, Shaun pushed past Curie and leapt into his arms, softly sobbing as he hugged his dad. Derek rose and picked Shaun up, wrapping his arms around him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Shaun." The rest of the apology was lost in Shaun's fervent sobbing.


	4. Epilogue - Irene

Irene loved her new home. Deacon had been so generous to offer to let her live there. She liked working with Miss Curie treating and tending to the patients. She found herself often spending hours just listening to the stories each person could tell her; tales of heroic action, insurmountable odds, and noble actions were her favorite. She loved it when the hero fought for the right thing and stopped at nothing to protect the ones they loved. She was shy to admit it, but she hoped one day that she might be the damsel herself in some romantic story.

Laughing softly to herself, she resumed the checkup on Mr. MacCready. He was one of her favorite people to talk to. He always had a funny joke or quip, and he was one of the few people willing to talk about Derek with her. The enigmatic leader of Mr. Garvey's Minutemen, the close friend of Deacon and his shadowy organization of associates, and the father of young Shaun was often a subject of curiosity for her.

He was the quintessential hero, a dashing rogue just as able to talk his way out of trouble as fight past any number of dastardly villains.

"Now, Mr. MacCready…"

"Please, Irene, call me MacCready or RJ. I'm not that old!" She laughed and shook her head as she stuck a thermometer under his tongue.

"Okay, MacCready, you're chest sounded a bit congested and," she pulled out the thermometer and checked the temperature, "you seem to be running a fever. Hmm, that's troubling." Pulling out her clipboard she wrote the symptoms and a few notes.

"I think I'm going to give you some aspirin to bring down that fever and suggest that Miss Curie check you out herself. Could you perhaps come back in a few hours?"

"What do you mean?" Irene sat down next to MacCready on the bed and patted his shoulder. She had heard about how his son had fallen grievously ill and she wanted to be as comforting as possible.

"Well, likely it's just a bit of a cold or a flu, but with medicine a bit scarce right now I just want Miss Curie to give you a good and proper look over. Just so we can nip it in the bud before it develops anymore, alright?" He nodded and accepted the few pills she handed him. As she walked him to the clinic's door he turned.

"You look like someone I used to know. Did you ever live in the Capitol Wasteland?"

"No, sorry. I was born and raised in Diamond City."

"Oh really? Neat, you should talk with Piper. She's the reporter for Publik Occurrences!"

"I'll make sure to do that MacCready. Now, you get some rest and make sure you drink some water. I'll come fetch you once Curie is ready!" She bid her farewells and returned to her office to finish filing the paperwork on the visit. MacCready, however, knew for a fact that she wasn't from Diamond City. No one from there had teeth and nails that perfect.

And, as for the fact that she looked exactly Nora? He figured that was best left as one of the many unsolvable mysteries of the Commonwealth.


End file.
